Imitation feather fletching and method of making same

ABSTRACT

Arrow fletching is produced from an indefinite length of synthetic material and includes a plurality of longitudinally aligned vanes cut from a starting strip comprising a web having at least one base flange. Each resultant vane is provided with a blade portion cut from the strip web while the strip base flange provides a pair of diverging foot portions adapted to engage the periphery of an arrow shaft. The material of the vane foot portions may be compatible with the surface of the arrow shaft for attachment thereto by heat sealing means or may carry a suitable adhesive coating thereon for such attachment.

METHOD OF MAKING SAME Fred B. Bear, Grayling, Mich.

Victor Comptometer Corporation, Chicago, 111.

Filed: on. 21, 1974 Appl. No.2 516,638

Related U.S. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 406,961, Oct. 16, 1973, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 248,019, April 27, 1972, abandoned.

Inventor:

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1969 Grise .L 273/1065 R United States Patent 1191 1111 3,922,401

Bear Nov. 25, 1975 1 IMITATION FEATHER FLETCHING AND 3,672,670 6/1972 Rizzo 273/1065 R Primary Examiner-Edward G. Whitby Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Emory L. Groff, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT Arrow fletching is produced from an indefinite length of synthetic material and includes a plurality of longitudinally aligned vanes cut from a starting strip comprising a web having at least one base flange. Each resultant vane is provided with a blade portion cut from the strip web while the strip base flange provides a pair of diverging foot portionsadapted to engage the periphery of an arrow shaft. The material of the vane foot portions may be compatible with the surface of the arrow shaft for attachment thereto by heat sealing -means or may carry a suitable adhesive coating thereon for such attachment.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 IMITATION FEATHER FLETCHING AND METHOD OF MAKINGSAME This is a division of application Ser. No. 406,961, filed Oct. 16, 1973, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 248,019, filed Apr. 27, 1972 now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to fletching for arrows and more particularly to an imitation feather constructed of a suitable synthetic material such as plastic.

Although the annexed drawing illustrates the concept of the present invention as applied to a feather particularly adapted for use on an arrow shaft, it will be appreciated that the invention may be practiced in connection with any type of projectile employing a vane or feather for the purpose of stabilizing the article trajectory during flight.

It is well known that for many years arrow feathers have been obtained from particular birds, such as turkeys. At the present time it is extremely difficult, especially for a large arrow manufacturer, to obtain an adequate quantity and, more importantly, the necessary quality of natural bird feathers as required for the fletching operation. Many of those feathers which are initially acceptable must later be rejected following the cleaning operation and an attempt to color them, due to the practice of turkey farmers spraying their birds with protective silicones, which measure renders the majority of feathers practically unsuitable for coloring as arrow fletching. In view of the limited supply of suitable natural feathers much experimentation has followed in an effort to provide an acceptable synthetic feather. By the present invention an improved imitation feather is produced from an indeterminant-length strip of extruded synthetic resinous material in a manner that yields an integral vane comprising a blade portion having a base flange including a pair of diverging foot portions.

The present feathers are produced according to a method which includes initially forming a starting strip of extruded plastic material from which are punched out or cut, one or more continuous vane strips each comprising a plurality of interconnected vanes or feathers. The thus produced strips may then be used in a manually operable fletching jig in a manner analogous to the present jigs utilized to fletch arrows with bird feathers, or these same strips may serve as a supply source of vanes to be fed in a continuous manner into an automatic fletching machine. The attachment to an arrow shaft of the foot portions of the instant vanes by either of the abovementioned methods is facilitated by the very nature of the composition of material comprising the vane. This attachment may be achieved by the application of suitable heating means in order to heat seal the foot portions to the periphery of the arrow shaft, or, alternatively, a pressure sensitive adhesive coating may be applied to the bottom face of the vane foot portions during the formationthereof and protected by means of a suitable cover tape or slip sheet which, of course, would be stripped immediately prior to application to an arrow shaft periphery.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the present invention proposes a method and article resulting in the formation of an improved synthetic feather or vane which is not subject to the shortcomings of a natural bird feather and additionally concerns an improved manner of attachment to an arrow shaft.

Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an improved method of making an imitation feather fletching for arrows.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of making an arrow vane of synthetic resinous material wherein a starting strip of the material is initially formed and from which is subsequently stamped one or more continuous strips each in turn comprising a plurality of completed vanes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved imitation feather fletching for arrows comprising an integral body of thermoplastic synthetic resinous material.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved imitation fletching including a blade portion having a base flange comprising a pair of foot portions formed of a material compatible with the shaft of an arrow and adapted to be adhesively sealed thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved imitation fletching for arrows comprising a vane strip of synthetic material including a plurality of longitudinally adjacent vanes each including a blade portion attached to a pair of foot portions the outer face of which is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive for attachment to an arrow shaft.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an extruded starting strip formed of synthetic material and from which a plurality of vanes will be produced.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a starting strip provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, in turn protected by a cover tape.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the starting strip as it appears following the stamping or cutting operation which produces one or more continuous score lines defining the outline of the blade portion of each ultimate vane.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view and illustrates the vane strip as it appears following separation of the waste strip.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vane strip as yielded by the step shown in FIG. 4 and which is about to be severed to provide a plurality of individual unitary vane elements.

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of an arrow shaft as provided with a plurality of vanes according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, particularly FIG. 1, the base material from which the vane V of the present invention is produced will be seen to comprise a longitudinal starting strip 1 of synthetic resinous material and which includes a central web 2, preferably of constant thickness, bounded along its lateral edges by upper and lower base flanges 33. Any suitable synthetic resinous composition may be utilized in forming the starting strip 1. Preferably this composition will have thermoplastic properties and the strip will be produced by well-known extrusion apparatus. With the starting strip 1 at hand the next step in the production of the imitation feather fletching vane V consists of punching or stamping the web 2 of the strip to provide the continuous score lines 4 shown most clearly in FIG. 3 of the drawing. This figure sillustrates a pair of scores lines 4 one each cooperating with each of the base flanges 3 of the strip 1 such that during a single pass of the starting strip through an appropriate punch or die press it will be seen that a pair of vane strips 5 will be produced concurrently. Quite obviously, a single score line 4 may be provided at any one time to a starting strip 1 and the balance of the starting strip may then be subsequently used at a later date to obtain a second vane strip 5 therefrom. Alternatively, a starting strip may be initially produced with only one base flange 3 such that but a single vane strip 5 may be formed therefrom. Such a starting strip could then have a T cross section as opposed to the H section shown in the drawmg.

Regardless of the configuration of the selected starting strip it is pointed out that prior to the provision of the score lines, the strip should be normalized, aged or heat treated by passing through an elevated temperature tunnel or box while under tension or on a track. This normalizing thereby precludes distortion of an installed vane as it is subjected to fluctuating elemental conditions.

The score line 4 is referred to as continuous in that the vane outline as produced thereby comprises a single line throughout the entire longitudinal extent of the starting strip. At points corresponding to the forward and rearward limits of each ultimate vane V the score line 4 is contiguous with the laterally diverging foot portions 66 comprising each base flange 3 adjacent the leading edge 7 and trailing edge 8 respectively of each vane.

The starting strip 1 as modified at this point may be conveniently shipped and stored by merely festooning an indefinite length of the strip in a suitable container or by winding it about itself or upon a reel. At any time prior to application of the-vanes V to an arrow shaft 9 the score lines 4 are completely broken, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing. During this operation it will be seen that the intermediate or adjacent waste strip 10 will be severed from the laterally disposed vane strips 55 to provide, as shown in this figure, two separate independent vane strips. Quite obviously, if the suggested modified starting strip 1 is employed, wherein only a single score line 4 was applied to the starting strip, then only a single vane strip 5 would be produced. In either case the vane strip 5 is prepared for subsequent attachment to an arrow shaft 9 by the formation of oppositely disposed notches 11-11 cut through the pair of foot portions 66 intermediate each opposing trailing edge 8 and leading edge 7 thereby further defining the limits of each ultimate vane V.

If the vane strip 5 as thus formed is destined to be utilized in an automatic apparatus for application to an arrow shaft then it will be understood that the free end of the vane strip adjacent the leading edge 7 will be introduced into such an apparatus which would include automatic means for advancing the vane strip and sequentially completely severing the base flange 3 between each pair of opposed notches 11 in order to yield individual vanes V. On the other hand, the same vane strip 5 may be readily utilized in the application of vanes to an arrow shaft by means of a manually operated fletching jig in which case the jig may be either modified to include means for severing the base flange through each pair of opposed notches or the operator may merely manually sever each vane from its strip. Whatever the type of apparatus being used to apply the vanes to an arrow shaft, the actual affixing of the vane to the periphery of the shaft may be accomplished preferably by either of any two methods. The thermoplastic nature of the material comprising the vane lends itself to ready attachment upon the application of heat by any suitable well known means such that the plasticity of the foot portions 66 of the vane base flange 3 will be modified to an extent sufficient to bring about adhesion with the periphery of the arrow shaft 9. This adhesive action may be facilitated if the shaft periphery has been previously coated with a compatible thermoplastic material.

Alternatively, the vanes may be attached to the arrow shaft by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive coating 12 which may be applied to the outer face 13 of each base flange 3 at any time during the fabrication of the vane strips 5. In order to protect the applied adhesive layer 12 a suitable cover tape or slip sheet 13 overlies the same and will be understood to be stripped therefrom immediately before attachment to an arrow shaft 9.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making an imitation feather for arrows comprising, forming a starting strip of synthetic material of indefinite length, said strip including a web joined to a base flange having a pair of oppositely disposed foot portions, stamping said starting strip to provide a continuous score line extending in a repeating manner throughout the length of the starting strip web to define a plurality of longitudinally adjacent feather blade portions in said web on the one side and a waste strip on the other side, each said blade portion bounded at opposite ends by said score lines extending to points juxtaposed said base flange, and removing said waste strip to provide a plurality of feather blade portions all joined to a continuous base flange to provide a feather strip.

2. The method according to claim 1, including, notching both said foot portions intermediate each pair of adjacent blade portions.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein, said starting strip includes two base flanges each having a pair of foot portions and including, stamping two score lines and providing said waste strip therebetween whereby upon removal of said waste strip two separate feather strips are provided.

4. The method according to claim 1, including, cutting through said base flange intermediate each pair of adjacent blade portions to provide a plurality of individual feathers.

5. The method according to claim 1, including, applying an adhesive coating to said base flange.

6. The method according to claim 2, including, cutting through said base flange at said notched points to provide a plurality of individual feathers.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein, said starting strip material is heat sealable. 

1. A METHOD OF MAKING AN IMITATION FEATHER FOR ARROWS COMPRISING, FORMING A STARTING STRIP OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL OF INDEFINITE LENGTH, SAID STRIP INCLUDING A WEB JOINED TO A BASE FLANGE HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FOOT PORTIONS, STAMPING SAID STARTING STRIP TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS SCORE LINE EXTENDING IN A REPEATING MANNER THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE STARTING STRIP WEB TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY ADJACENT FEATHER BLADE PORTIONS IN SAID WEB ON THE ONE SIDE AND A WASTE STRIP ON THE OTHER SIDE, EACH SAID BLADE PORTION BOUNDED AT OPPOSITE ENDS BY SAID SCORE LINES EXTENDING TO POINTS JUXTAPOSED SAID BASE FLANGE, AND REMOVING SAID WASTE STRIP TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF FEATHER BLADE PORTIONS ALL JOINED TO A CONTINUOUS BASE FLANGE TO PROVIDE A FEATHER STRIP.
 2. The method according to claim 1, including, notching both said foot portions intermediate each pair of adjacent blade portions.
 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein, said starting strip includes two base flanges each having a pair of foot portions and including, stamping two score lines and providing said waste strip therebetween whereby upon removal of said waste strip two separate feather strips are provided.
 4. The method according to claim 1, including, cutting through said base flange intermediate each pair of adjacent blade portions to provide a plurality of individual feathers.
 5. The method according to claim 1, including, applying an adhesive coating to said base flange.
 6. The method according to claim 2, including, cutting through said base flange at said notched points to provide a plurality of individual feathers.
 7. The method according to claim 1 wherein, said starting strip material is heat sealable. 